1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a fixing belt that can produce high-quality color images when used as a fixing belt in an image-forming device such as a copying machine and a printing machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, fixing methods using heat, pressure or a combination thereof have been proposed for fixing of images on a transfer paper sheet or the like in the image-forming device. Examples of such methods include oven fixing methods, flash fixing methods, pressure fixing methods, and hot roller fixing methods. In particular, the hot roller fixing methods are widely used in view of thermal efficiency, combustion risk, fixing properties, or the like. In the hot roller fixing method, a hot roller and a press roller are arranged opposite to each other, and a transfer paper sheet is fed between both rollers. In this method, a toner provisionally fixed on the transfer paper sheet is fused and fixed by the generation of heat from a heater embedded in the hot roller, and the fixing is reinforced by pressing with the press roller, so that images are formed with the toner on the transfer paper sheet. Such a hot roller fixing method, however, requires high pressure load for the fusion and fixation of the toner on the transfer paper sheet, because of small contact area.
Against the problem, belt fixing methods are proposed. This method includes arranging a roller and a belt opposite to each other and feeding a transfer paper sheet between them to fix a toner. This method also needs basic functions including pressing, heating, driving, and releasing, like the hot roller fixing method, but these functions may be performed by any of the roller and the belt. A belt with high following performance provided on one side can increase the contact area and reduce the pressure load. In the belt fixing method, however, an increase in sheet-feeding speed leads to an increase in pressure load, and thus, there is proposed a fixing belt having a fluoroplastic layer with improved wear resistance of release layer. Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-114585 has proposed a fixing belt having a fluoroplastic layer with improved wear resistance of release layer.